Upcoming events at LGNC:
Ornithology/Birding 101
Every other Tuesday, February 4-June 9, 2020
The Lehigh Gap Nature Center Academy continues with a new class in 2020 — Ornithology/Birding 101. We will explore ornithology in the classroom, learning interesting aspects of bird anatomy, physiology, and behavior. We will also learn about the various groups of birds and individuals that occur in our region. In addition to lectures, there will be a field component to the class in which we will get outside at LGNC and other local birding spots, plus go further afield with field trips to birding hotspots within a day’s drive.
Tentative Schedule*:
February 4, 18 (10:00 a.m.-noon): Classroom
March 3: Classroom or field trip to Middle Creek
March 17, 31 (10:00 a.m.-noon): Classroom
April 14 (10:00 a.m.-noon): Classroom
April 28 (9:00 a.m. -noon): Field trip at or near LGNC
May 12: All day field trip TBA (additional charge for transportation)
May 26 (8:00-11:00 a.m.): Field trip at or near LGNC
June 9 (8:00-11:00 a.m.): Field trip at or near LGNC
*The above schedule is likely to change because of weather or other factors, so take this as an approximate schedule and be prepared to be flexible.
Class Registration:
This series of ten classes will meet every other Tuesday from February 4 through June 9. Registration fee for all classes: $25 for members, $75 for non-members. Registration is limited to 20 participants because of field trips (first come, first served), and we will put additional names on a waiting list. Please mail payment in the form of a check to P.O. Box 198, Slatington, PA 18080 ahead of the first class.
LGNC members: register here Non-members: register here
You will need binoculars and a field guide for the class. You can supply your own or borrow them from the Nature Center.
Please contact LGNC at mail@lgnc.org or 610-760-8889 if you have any questions.
In celebration of Earth Day, help us clean up the gardens and Refuge!
39th ANNUAL CARBON COUNTY ART LEAGUE SPRING EXHIBITION
April 18-19, 2020
Artists have the opportunity to enter art work to be judged and/or sold. Members may also sell prints and non-judged pieces at our Annual Exhibition. To enter your artwork please complete a registration form and mail your entry tags and payment to the address found on the registration form.
Click here for 2020 Registration Form – Registration Ends Monday, April 6, 2020
Click here for Registration Tickets
Click here for STUDENT Registration Tickets
Location:
The Lehigh Gap Nature Center is an exceptional venue for your artwork. A portion of the proceeds go to supporting a local educational and cultural facility. Address: 8844 Paint Mill Road, Slatington, PA 18080
Categories:
- Oils/Acrylics
- Watercolor/Watercolor with pen and ink
- Works on Paper: pastels, charcoal, pencil drawings, pen and ink
- Sculpture and Mixed Media: including, but not limited to, jewelry, encaustic painting, woodwork, weaving, gourd art, metal work, pottery, artwork incorporating two or more types of media in one piece
- Photography: including black and white or color, digital or film photography minimally enhanced by technology, ex.: red eye, cropping, exposure, etc.
- Digital Art (all forms of digital art including photography that has been greatly manipulated or altered by technology)
- NEW Student Category: There will be a separate category for art work created by students 18 and younger which will have no entry fee. A limit of 2 free entries per student will be accepted. (Should a student wish to enter additional pieces in the above six categories, they may do so for a fee of $5 per piece.)
Eligibility:
Entries must be original and recent. Works must not have been entered in previous CCAL shows. No depiction of nudity or violence will be accepted. Up to 3 pieces per category may be entered, and may or may not be for sale.
Prizes:
Categories 1-6: Cash prizes and a ribbon will be awarded for 1st and 2nd place in each category listed above; 3rd place in each category will receive a ribbon. (If a category has fewer than 6 entries, only 1st place will be awarded.) Cash prize amounts will be $30 for 1st Place, $25 for 2nd place and $10 for 3rd place.
Category 7: –STUDENT- will be judged for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place overall winners. All student winners will receive ribbons. The 1st place winner will also receive a $30 prize.
Presentation:
Two dimensional works must not exceed 4 feet in either direction and must be securely wired for hanging. If not suitably prepared, the piece will be rejected. There are tables at the Nature Center for three dimensional pieces; however artists may bring their own pedestals if this is preferred.
2020 Schedule:
- Thursday, April 16 – 5pm-7pm – Drop off art at Lehigh Gap Nature Center
- Friday, April 17 – 10am–2pm – Drop off art at Lehigh Gap Nature Center
- Saturday, April 18 – Show from 10am-5pm
- Sunday, April 19 – Show from 10am-5pm *Artist Reception and Awards 3-5pm* (Identification needed for release of artwork) *Members help with clean-up 5-6pm
Registration:
Artists may register now through April 6, 2020!
- Members – $5 entry fee for each piece entered for judging
- Non-members – $7 entry fee for each piece entered for judging
- Students through age 18 with ID – two entries with no fee, $5 per any additional pieces
Make checks payable to Carbon County Art League, Inc.
Mail entry forms (included) and fee to: Mary Anne Shafer, 80 Daniel Circle, Lehighton, PA 18235
Commission:
A commission of 20% on all sold pieces will be equally split between the LGNC and CCAL.
Liability:
The submission of an entry shall constitute an agreement by the entrant not to hold the CCAL responsible for damage to, or theft of, any work. The exhibit will be under supervision during the days of the show.
Sale of Non-Judged Art and Prints:
Sale of non-judged pieces in “The Artists’ Nook” is available to CCAL members only. The number of pieces you may include is limited to as many as will fit into these space areas:
- Table top area (approximately 2ft. X 2ft)
- One print bin (CCAL has some bins, or you may supply your own)
- One side of one display rack (approximately 30 inches by 30 inches)
Artists are responsible for set up/removal of all works. Your name and price of each piece must be attached to each item. The 20% commission fee also applies to sales of these items.
Please feel free to contact the Carbon County Art League if you have questions about the show.
39th ANNUAL CARBON COUNTY ART LEAGUE SPRING EXHIBITION
April 18-19, 2020
Artists have the opportunity to enter art work to be judged and/or sold. Members may also sell prints and non-judged pieces at our Annual Exhibition. To enter your artwork please complete a registration form and mail your entry tags and payment to the address found on the registration form.
Click here for 2020 Registration Form – Registration Ends Monday, April 6, 2020
Click here for Registration Tickets
Click here for STUDENT Registration Tickets
Location:
The Lehigh Gap Nature Center is an exceptional venue for your artwork. A portion of the proceeds go to supporting a local educational and cultural facility. Address: 8844 Paint Mill Road, Slatington, PA 18080
Categories:
- Oils/Acrylics
- Watercolor/Watercolor with pen and ink
- Works on Paper: pastels, charcoal, pencil drawings, pen and ink
- Sculpture and Mixed Media: including, but not limited to, jewelry, encaustic painting, woodwork, weaving, gourd art, metal work, pottery, artwork incorporating two or more types of media in one piece
- Photography: including black and white or color, digital or film photography minimally enhanced by technology, ex.: red eye, cropping, exposure, etc.
- Digital Art (all forms of digital art including photography that has been greatly manipulated or altered by technology)
- NEW Student Category: There will be a separate category for art work created by students 18 and younger which will have no entry fee. A limit of 2 free entries per student will be accepted. (Should a student wish to enter additional pieces in the above six categories, they may do so for a fee of $5 per piece.)
Eligibility:
Entries must be original and recent. Works must not have been entered in previous CCAL shows. No depiction of nudity or violence will be accepted. Up to 3 pieces per category may be entered, and may or may not be for sale.
Prizes:
Categories 1-6: Cash prizes and a ribbon will be awarded for 1st and 2nd place in each category listed above; 3rd place in each category will receive a ribbon. (If a category has fewer than 6 entries, only 1st place will be awarded.) Cash prize amounts will be $30 for 1st Place, $25 for 2nd place and $10 for 3rd place.
Category 7: –STUDENT- will be judged for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place overall winners. All student winners will receive ribbons. The 1st place winner will also receive a $30 prize.
Presentation:
Two dimensional works must not exceed 4 feet in either direction and must be securely wired for hanging. If not suitably prepared, the piece will be rejected. There are tables at the Nature Center for three dimensional pieces; however artists may bring their own pedestals if this is preferred.
2020 Schedule:
- Thursday, April 16 – 5pm-7pm – Drop off art at Lehigh Gap Nature Center
- Friday, April 17 – 10am–2pm – Drop off art at Lehigh Gap Nature Center
- Saturday, April 18 – Show from 10am-5pm
- Sunday, April 19 – Show from 10am-5pm *Artist Reception and Awards 3-5pm* (Identification needed for release of artwork) *Members help with clean-up 5-6pm
Registration:
Artists may register now through April 6, 2020!
- Members – $5 entry fee for each piece entered for judging
- Non-members – $7 entry fee for each piece entered for judging
- Students through age 18 with ID – two entries with no fee, $5 per any additional pieces
Make checks payable to Carbon County Art League, Inc.
Mail entry forms (included) and fee to: Mary Anne Shafer, 80 Daniel Circle, Lehighton, PA 18235
Commission:
A commission of 20% on all sold pieces will be equally split between the LGNC and CCAL.
Liability:
The submission of an entry shall constitute an agreement by the entrant not to hold the CCAL responsible for damage to, or theft of, any work. The exhibit will be under supervision during the days of the show.
Sale of Non-Judged Art and Prints:
Sale of non-judged pieces in “The Artists’ Nook” is available to CCAL members only. The number of pieces you may include is limited to as many as will fit into these space areas:
- Table top area (approximately 2ft. X 2ft)
- One print bin (CCAL has some bins, or you may supply your own)
- One side of one display rack (approximately 30 inches by 30 inches)
Artists are responsible for set up/removal of all works. Your name and price of each piece must be attached to each item. The 20% commission fee also applies to sales of these items.
Please feel free to contact the Carbon County Art League if you have questions about the show.
Speaker Series: “Birds of the Haul Road – An Alaskan Adventure” – Scott Keys
Lehigh Valley based photographer, Scott Keys, takes you through his journey into the the Alaskan tundra. This program will include a portfolio of the beautiful birds that he photographed along the way.
Youth in grades 7 through 12 are invited to join the Naturalist Club, LGNC’s extracurricular environmental club for middle and high school students! Members of this club are involved with year-round educational activities, outdoor adventures, and research projects at the refuge. For more information or to sign up, please contact LGNC Program Specialist Chad Schwartz at chad.schwartz@lgnc.org.
Kids in grades 2 through 6 are invited to join the Junior Naturalist Club, LGNC’s extracurricular environmental club for elementary school students! The goal of this club is to foster a lifelong appreciation for nature and science through hands-on field and lab experiences and other year-round activities. Graduates of the Junior Naturalist Club are encouraged to join LGNC’s Naturalist Club for older youth. For more information or to sign up, please contact LGNC Program Specialist Chad Schwartz at chad.schwartz@lgnc.org.
Discover the history, ecology, and geology of the Lehigh Gap as we walk along the ADA-accessible D&L Trail. Binoculars provided.
Kids in grades 2 through 6 are invited to join the Junior Naturalist Club, LGNC’s extracurricular environmental club for elementary school students! The goal of this club is to foster a lifelong appreciation for nature and science through hands-on field and lab experiences and other year-round activities. Graduates of the Junior Naturalist Club are encouraged to join LGNC’s Naturalist Club for older youth. For more information or to sign up, please contact LGNC Program Specialist Chad Schwartz at chad.schwartz@lgnc.org.
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Landscaping for Communities & Wildlife
Get the Latest Resources from our Conservation Landscaping Program:
News and Current Events:
COVID-19
LGNC Osprey House Update (3/27/20)
Everyone is doing their part in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and so are we at LGNC. In light of current guidelines and the situation facing our nation, the Osprey House will be extending its closure until at least April 6, 2020. For everyone’s safety, as long as PA schools are closed, our building will remain closed to the public and all in-person programs will be cancelled.
This is a disappointment and an inconvenience for us all, but it is an important sacrifice to make to prevent matters from getting worse. We will continue to update the public regularly through Facebook, our website, and emails.
It is important to note that our trails will still remain open to the general public. Please be respectful of any temporary trail closures due to ongoing PPL transmission line work. Even when PPL construction is in progress, there are still plenty of trails to explore, and the Appalachian Trail is still accessible from our parking lot!
We want everyone using our trails to have a safe, healthy, and enriching experience. Hike on established trails only. Use of shortcuts and unofficial trails cause maintenance and safety issues. Please maintain a safe distance of 6 feet from other guests on the trails and in the parking lot.
Also, we ask that folks using our trails follow the 7 principles of Leave No Trace found at this link: https://bit.ly/Leave_No_Trace_LGNC. In particular, we ask that you follow the principle regarding “pack in, pack out.” We do not have the capacity to handle the extra trash from a high influx of visitors. Just stash your trash in your backpack, pockets, etc. and take it with you.
Thank you and be safe and stay healthy!
-LGNC Staff
LGNC Trail Closures
The D&L and LNE trails will be closed April 4, 6-7, and 16-17, and periodically in July and August while PPL works to replace the transmission towers running through the Lehigh Gap. The southern section of the Prairie Warbler Trail between the Tannery (stone building) and the Woodpecker Trail is also closed until further notice.
The section of the D&L and LNE trails affected by this work is highlighted in red on the attached map. The D&L and LNE trails will be closed between the LGNC pavilion (arrow 1 on the map) and the Bobolink trail (arrow 2 on the map). PPL will be replacing the transmission lines and towers within that span of both trails. Please take note to stay off this portion of both trails when they are closed for your own safety.
To access the Appalachian Trail, hikers should take the northern Prairie Warbler trailhead to the Woodpecker Trail. I have attached a map, which we have also printed for the front desk.
As this work progresses, we will be posting updates on Facebook and lgnc.org. We will also be sending periodic email updates.
Thank you for your patience through this process.
LGNC Restoration Mini Documentary
Dan Kunkle's Retirement and LGNC Transition!
Thanks to Times News Lehighton for their recent article on Dan Kunkle’s tenure as Executive Director of LGNC! While Dan will be retiring at the end of this month, he will be joining the LGNC Board as Director Emeritus. Current staff members Chad Schwartz and Brian Birchak will serve as Co-directors of the Nature Center beginning on January 1, 2020.
Remembering Michal Kubik
We at LGNC have the sad duty to inform you of the passing of Michal Kubik. Michal served as vice president and president of LGNC’s Board of Directors during the refuge land acquisition along the Kittatinny Ridge. His tenure also oversaw the building of the Osprey House and the development of LGNC into the community, education, and research center that it is today.
He was at the helm as LGNC went from idea to reality.
Cabin Fever Book Club 2019-2020
Cabin Fever Book Club – Book List for 2019-2020 has been posted!!!
Click Here for more information
Remembering Bill Mineo
It is with great sadness that we inform you of the passing of Bill Mineo, one of LGNC’s founding members. We mourn the loss of this key figure in Lehigh Gap Nature Center’s creation and success. Click here for the Autumn 2017 Wildlife Activist (#81) to read a recent Board member spotlight article on Bill. Also, click here to view Bill’s obituary. Our condolences to the family.
